Theory of Machines & Mechanisms

MCT 2212

Introduction
Body at rest
Statics

Rigid Body
Mechanics

under the
action of
forces and
moments
Dynamics

Body with
constant
velocity

Body with
accelerated
motion

Introduction
Parts/ Link
Theory of Machines and
Mechanisms

deals with the determination

of the forces and motions of
links in machines

Mechanisms/
Linkages

Subsystems of
machines to facilitate
analysis

Joints

Links & joints

Links: rigid member having nodes, i.e. attachment points
Binary link: 2 nodes
Ternary link: 3 nodes
Quaternary link: 4 nodes

Joint: connection between two links (at their nodes) which allows
motion
Classified by type of contact, number of DOF, type of physical
closure, or number of links joined.
kinematic pair : Joints are also known as kinematic pair
4

Joint Classification

Type of contact:
line/point i.e. higher pair,
area/surface i.e. lower pair

Number of DOF:
full joint=1DOF,
half joint=2DOF

Form closed (closed by geometry) or

Force closed (needs an external force to
keep it closed)
Joint order = number of links-1

Kinematic Pairs
Full Joint: permits one relative motion between adjacent links. All of these
kinematic pairs are referred to as one degree of freedom(DOF) pairs.
Turning pairs allow relative turning motion between two
links., e.g. bearings, pivots, or pin joints.
Rolling pairs allow relative rolling motion between two links,

Turning pairs

e.g. pair of friction wheels For a rolling pair, it is assumed that

there is no slippage between the links.
Sliding pairs allow relative sliding motion between two links,
e.g Piston-Cylinder.
Half Joint: allows two relative motions simultaneously

Sliding pairs

between the adjacent links and referred to as two degree of

freedom pairs.
Half Joint

Types of joints

Higher Pairs
& Lower Pairs

Lower pairs: A kinematic

pair

or

joint

surface/area contact.

with

Higher Pairs & Lower Pairs

Higher pairs: A kinematic pair or joint with point contact or line contact.

Mechanism
kinematic chain : A kinematic chain is an assembly of links formed by
placing kinematic pairs at each of the nodes without specifying the ground
link.
Kinematic chains may be either open type or close type.
Mechanism: It is an assemblage of links and joints with at least one link grounded and
interconnected in a way to provide controlled output motions in response to supplied
input motions.

Mobility or DOF of a mechanism: The mobility of a mechanism is defined as

the number of independent parameters required to specify the position of all
links of the mechanism. It also specify the number of input/actuators needed to
operate the mechanism.

Machine: mechanism designed to do work.

Link classification:
Ground: fixed wrt. reference frame
Crank: pivoted to ground, makes complete revolutions
Rocker: pivoted to ground, has oscillatory motion
Coupler: link has complex motion, not attached to ground

Machine & Mechanism

A simple machine may also be considered as a single
mechanism.

Figure 1.3(a) The tongs

can be considered either
as a machine or as a
mechanism.

Figure 1.3(b) shows a free body diagram of

the system used to analyze the manual force
required to generate sufficient gripping force.

Figure: IC Engine Demonstration

Figure: Inline 4-Cylinder Engine

Machine & Mechanism

Figure: Slider crank mechanism

Figure: Scotch Yoke mechanism

Figure: Quick return mechanism Figure: A Paper/ Card Punching Machine

Mechanisms
Mechanisms are widely used in applications where precise relative
movement and transmission of force are required. Motions may be
continuous or intermittent, linear and/or angular.

Worm_gear

Gear-gear

Gear-rack

Cam follower

Examples of continuous motion output

Ratchet
Mechanism

Cam follower

Geneva
Mechanism

Sewing machine creating a

lockstitch using an
oscillating a boat shuttle

Examples of intermittent motion output

Sewing machine creating a

lockstitch using Allen B
Wilson's rotating hook

Mechanism Inversion
Every mechanism has one stationary base link. All other links may move
relative to the fixed base link. From the same kinematic chain, an inversion os
a mechanism is obtained by making the originally fixed link into a moving
link and selecting an originally moving link to be the fixed link .

(a) slider crank mechanism (link 1 fixed),

(b) inversion #1
(link 2 fixed),

(c) inversion #2
(link 3 fixed),

(d) inversion #3
(link 4 fixed).

Figure 1.39 Slider crank mechanism and its three inversions

Planar Mechanism
Planar motion is restricted to a plane. For a planar mechanism, the motions of
all of its links must take place either in the same plane or in planes that are
parallel to one another. The slider crank mechanism and four-bar mechanism
are examples of planar mechanisms.

Figure 1.7 Slider crank mechanism with offset

Figure 1.5 Slider crank mechanism

The Grueblers equation for the mobility,

m, of a planar mechanism is given as

m 3(n 1) 2 J1 J 2
n= number of links in the mechanism
J1 =umber of one degree of freedom pairs
J2=umber of two degree of freedom pairs

Figure 1.8 Four-bar mechanism

Mobility
If, m< 0 i.e. ve, Preloaded Structure, may require force to
assemble / Indeterminate problem .
If, m= 0 , Structure.
If, m>0 i.e. +ve, Mechanism.

e. ve, Preloaded Structure, may require force to

Mobility

Structure.

e. +ve, Mechanism.

Figure 1.36 Examples of mobility.

18

Figure 1.36 (Continued)

19

Mobility Paradoxes
5

The Gruebler criterion pays no attention to

2

link sizes or shapes, it can give misleading

results in the face of unique geometric

configurations.

1
1

n=5; J1=6; J2=0; m=0

5
2

4
1

n=5; J1=6; J2=0; m=0 but, m=1.

Full Joint,
Half
Joint,
Pure rolling,
rolling
&
no sliding
sliding

In case of pure rolling,

n=3; J1=3; J2=0; m=0
In case of rolling & sliding,
n=3; J1=2; J2=1; m=1

2
1

3
1

Idle Degrees of Freedom

An Idle degree of freedom is one that appears (and is) present but its value has
no effect on the input output relationships of interest
To identify Idle degrees of freedom, first identify the input and output links
Then we must determine if a single link or combinations of links can move
without affecting the input/output link positions
Like a connecting link rotating (about its axis) in a steering mechanism
without changing the relationship between the steering wheel and the front
tires in a vehicle

Idle Degrees of Freedom

n 12
J1 13
J2 2
m 3( n 1) 2 J 1 J 2
3(12 1) 2 13 2
5
Note: Pin-in-slot & Cam Contact are
half joints
Here,

The Structure has five DOF with two Idle DOFs.

They are the roller and the cam rocker .
mActual = MTheoretical - mIdle
=5-2 = 3

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ME 3230

Page 22

spatial mechanism
In a spatial mechanism, links move in three dimensions. For
example, in a prosthetic hand, the thumb moves in a plane that is
not parallel to the planes of motion of the other four fingers.

Figure 1.29 (a) a prosthetic hand

Figure 1.29(b) Fingers wrap

around an object as shown in

The Kutzbach mobility equation for spatial linkages:

M 6(n 1) 5 J 1 4 J 2 3J 3 2 J 4 J 5
where the subscript refers to the number of freedoms of the joint.

Example of Spatial Linkage

4 Links; 2 spherical Joints, 1cylindrical joint and 1 revolute joint.
DOF of a Spherical Joint is 3
DOF of a Cylindrical Joint is 2
DOF of a Revolute Joint is 1

M 6(n 1) 5 J 1 4 J 2 3J 3 2 J 4 J 5
6(4 1) 5 1 4 1 3 2
3

Four-Bar Mechanism-Grashof's Criterion

Four-bar mechanisms may be studied by distinguishing the link lengths as
follows:
s: the length of the shortest link
l: the length of the longest link
p, q: the lengths of the other two links
To assemble the kinematic chain it is necessary that,

s pq l
The type of a four-bar mechanism may be determined using Grashof"s
Criterion,

q
(i) s l p(ii)

(iii) s l p q

sl pq

Then, only case (i) offers all three types of a four-bar

mechanisms.

Four-Bar Mechanism-Grashof's Criterion

sl pq
Class_I

sl pq
Class_II

(i) If s is the input link, then Rocker_Rocker

the mechanism is a crank
rocker.
(ii) If s is the base link, then
the mechanism is a drag link.
(iii) If otherwise, then the
mechanism is a rocker-rocker.

sl pq
Class_III

Change Point

For S+L<P+Q
Crank-rocker if either link adjacent to shortest is grounded
Double crank if shortest link is grounded
Double rocker if link opposite to shortest is grounded

gure 1.43 Types of four-bar mechanisms (a) crank rocker, (b) drag link, (c) rocker-rocker.

For S+L>P+Q
All inversions will be double rockers
No link can fully rotate

For S+L=P+Q (Special case Grashof)

Figure: Four Bar double rockers

All inversions will be double cranks or crank rockers

Linkage can form parallelogram or antiparallelogram
Often used to keep coupler parallel (drafting machine)

Parallelogram form

Anti parallelogram form

Deltoid form
28

Let the lengths of the three moving links are r 2= 2.0 cm; r3=4.0
cm; r4=5.0 cm, adjusting the length of the base link we can get the
following inversion of four bar mechanism.

Figure 1.47 Four-bar mechanisms:

crank rocker